(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for removing rod-like articles such as filter plugs for filter cigarettes from a hopper in which a bulk supply of said rod-like articles is provided. In the manufacture of filter cigarettes, a bulk supply of filter plugs is provided in a hopper, and a rotating fluted drum is arranged to form a wall of the hopper so that a filter plug is removed from the hopper in each flute of the drum. The filter plugs thus removed are transferred by transfer means to feeding conveyers which feed them to further processing machines such as a cigarette maker. Upon increase of the operational speeds, and consequent increase of the speed at which the flutes pass through the hopper, it becomes more difficult to ensure that each flute picks up a filter plug as it passes through the hopper. It is evident that if some flutes of the drum are empty, the output of the apparatus receiving the filter plugs (for example a cigarette making machine) is correspondingly reduced.
(2) Statement of the Prior Art
In accordance with 37 CFR 1.56, applicant states that the following prior art is the closest prior art known:
U.S. Pat. No. 3,715,056 (Preston): the whole document. PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 3,253,491 (Rakowicz): FIG. 1, column 4, lines 10-21. PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,073,372 (List): FIG. 1.